Micro-electromechanical fluid ejection mechanism having a shape memory alloy actuator

ABSTRACT

Provided is a micro-electromechanical fluid ejection mechanism. The mechanism includes a substrate defining an ink passage in fluid communication with a tapered ink chamber having an ink ejection port, as well as a shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator arranged within the chamber. The actuator is configured to straighten when heated and to return to a bent state upon subsequent cooling to facilitate ejection of ink via the ejection port.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/525,857 filed on Sep. 25, 2006, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 7,497,555 which is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/064,011 filed on Feb. 24, 2005, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 7,178,903 which is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/893,380 filed on Jul. 19, 2004, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 6,938,992, which is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/307,348 filed on Dec. 2, 2002, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,764,166, which is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/113,122 filed on Jul. 10, 1998, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 6,557,977, the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.

The following Australian provisional patent applications are hereby incorporated by reference. For the purposes of location and identification, US patents/patent applications identified by their US patent/patent application serial numbers (USSN) are listed alongside the Australian applications from which the US patents/patent applications claim the right of priority.

CROSS-REFERENCED U.S. PATENT/PATENT APPLICATION AUSTRALIAN (Claiming Right of Priority Provisional Patent from Australian Provisional Application No. Application) PO7991 6,750,901 PO8505 6,476,863 PO7988 6,788,336 PO9395 6,322,181 PO8017 6,597,817 PO8014 6,227,648 PO8025 6,727,948 PO8032 6,690,419 PO7999 6,727,951 PO8030 6,196,541 PO7997 6,195,150 PO7979 6,362,868 PO7978 6,831,681 PO7982 6,431,669 PO7989 6,362,869 PO8019 6,472,052 PO7980 6,356,715 PO8018 6,894,694 PO7938 6,636,216 PO8016 6,366,693 PO8024 6,329,990 PO7939 6,459,495 PO8501 6,137,500 PO8500 6,690,416 PO7987 7,050,143 PO8022 6,398,328 PO8497 7,110,024 PO8020 6,431,704 PO8504 6,879,341 PO8000 6,415,054 PO7934 6,665,454 PO7990 6,542,645 PO8499 6,486,886 PO8502 6,381,361 PO7981 6,317,192 PO7986 6,850,274 PO7983 09/113,054 PO8026 6,646,757 PO8028 6,624,848 PO9394 6,357,135 PO9397 6,271,931 PO9398 6,353,772 PO9399 6,106,147 PO9400 6,665,008 PO9401 6,304,291 PO9403 6,305,770 PO9405 6,289,262 PP0959 6,315,200 PP1397 6,217,165 PP2370 6,786,420 PO8003 6,350,023 PO8005 6,318,849 PO8066 6,227,652 PO8072 6,213,588 PO8040 6,213,589 PO8071 6,231,163 PO8047 6,247,795 PO8035 6,394,581 PO8044 6,244,691 PO8063 6,257,704 PO8057 6,416,168 PO8056 6,220,694 PO8069 6,257,705 PO8049 6,247,794 PO8036 6,234,610 PO8048 6,247,793 PO8070 6,264,306 PO8067 6,241,342 PO8001 6,247,792 PO8038 6,264,307 PO8033 6,254,220 PO8002 6,234,611 PO8068 6,302,528 PO8062 6,283,582 PO8034 6,239,821 PO8039 6,338,547 PO8041 6,247,796 PO8004 6,557,977 PO8037 6,390,603 PO8043 6,362,843 PO8042 6,293,653 PO8064 6,312,107 PO9389 6,227,653 PO9391 6,234,609 PP0888 6,238,040 PP0891 6,188,415 PP0890 6,227,654 PP0873 6,209,989 PP0993 6,247,791 PP0890 6,336,710 PP1398 6,217,153 PP2592 6,416,167 PP2593 6,243,113 PP3991 6,283,581 PP3987 6,247,790 PP3985 6,260,953 PP3983 6,267,469 PO7935 6,224,780 PO7936 6,235,212 PO7937 6,280,643 PO8061 6,284,147 PO8054 6,214,244 PO8065 6,071,750 PO8055 6,267,905 PO8053 6,251,298 PO8078 6,258,285 PO7933 6,225,138 PO7950 6,241,904 PO7949 6,299,786 PO8060 6,866,789 PO8059 6,231,773 PO8073 6,190,931 PO8076 6,248,249 PO8075 6,290,862 PO8079 6,241,906 PO8050 6,565,762 PO8052 6,241,905 PO7948 6,451,216 PO7951 6,231,772 PO8074 6,274,056 PO7941 6,290,861 PO8077 6,248,248 PO8058 6,306,671 PO8051 6,331,258 PO8045 6,110,754 PO7952 6,294,101 PO8046 6,416,679 PO9390 6,264,849 PO9392 6,254,793 PP0889 6,235,211 PP0887 6,491,833 PP0882 6,264,850 PP0874 6,258,284 PP1396 6,312,615 PP3989 6,228,668 PP2591 6,180,427 PP3990 6,171,875 PP3986 6,267,904 PP3984 6,245,247 PP3982 6,315,914 PP0895 6,231,148 PP0869 6,293,658 PP0887 6,614,560 PP0885 6,238,033 PP0884 6,312,070 PP0886 6,238,111 PP0877 6,378,970 PP0878 6,196,739 PP0883 6,270,182 PP0880 6,152,619 PO8006 6,087,638 PO8007 6,340,222 PO8010 6,041,600 PO8011 6,299,300 PO7947 6,067,797 PO7944 6,286,935 PO7946 6,044,646 PP0894 6,382,769

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to ink jet printing and in particular discloses a shape memory alloy ink jet printer.

The present invention further relates to the field of drop on demand ink jet printing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many different types of printing have been invented, a large number of which are presently in use. The known forms of print have a variety of methods for marking the print media with a relevant marking media. Commonly used forms of printing include offset printing, laser printing and copying devices, dot matrix type impact printers, thermal paper printers, film recorders, thermal wax printers, dye sublimation printers and ink jet printers both of the drop on demand and continuous flow type. Each type of printer has its own advantages and problems when considering cost, speed, quality, reliability, simplicity of construction and operation etc.

In recent years, the field of ink jet printing, wherein each individual pixel of ink is derived from one or more ink nozzles has become increasingly popular primarily due to its inexpensive and versatile nature.

Many different techniques on ink jet printing have been invented. For a survey of the field, reference is made to an article by J Moore, “Non-Impact Printing: Introduction and Historical Perspective”, Output Hard Copy Devices, Editors R Dubeck and S Sherr, pages 207-220 (1988).

Ink Jet printers themselves come in many different types. The utilization of a continuous stream ink in ink jet printing appears to date back to at least 1929 wherein U.S. Pat. No. 1,941,001 by Hansell discloses a simple form of continuous stream electro-static ink jet printing.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,596,275 by Sweet also discloses a process of a continuous ink jet printing including the step wherein the ink jet stream is modulated by a high frequency electro-static field so as to cause drop separation. This technique is still utilized by several manufacturers including Elmjet and Scitex (see also U.S. Pat. No. 3,373,437 by Sweet et al)

Piezoelectric ink jet printers are also one form of commonly utilized ink jet printing device. Piezoelectric systems are disclosed by Kyser et. al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,946,398 (1970) which utilizes a diaphragm mode of operation, by Zolten in U.S. Pat. No. 3,683,212 (1970) which discloses a squeeze mode of operation of a piezoelectric crystal, Stemme in U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,120 (1972) discloses a bend mode of piezoelectric operation, Howkins in U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,601 discloses a piezoelectric push mode actuation of the ink jet stream and Fischbeck in U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,590 which discloses a shear mode type of piezoelectric transducer element.

Recently, thermal ink jet printing has become an extremely popular form of ink jet printing. The ink jet printing techniques include those disclosed by Endo et al in GB 2007162 (1979) and Vaught et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,728. Both the aforementioned references disclosed ink jet printing techniques rely upon the activation of an electrothermal actuator which results in the creation of a bubble in a constricted space, such as a nozzle, which thereby causes the ejection of ink from an aperture connected to the confined space onto a relevant print media. Printing devices utilizing the electro-thermal actuator are manufactured by manufacturers such as Canon and Hewlett Packard.

As can be seen from the foregoing, many different types of printing technologies are available. Ideally, a printing technology should have a number of desirable attributes. These include inexpensive construction and operation, high speed operation, safe and continuous long term operation etc. Each technology may have its own advantages and disadvantages in the areas of cost, speed, quality, reliability, power usage, simplicity of construction operation, durability and consumables.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide for a new form of ink jet printing device that utilizes a shape memory alloy in its activation method.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a micro-electromechanical fluid ejection mechanism, the fluid ejection mechanism comprising

a substrate that incorporates drive circuitry;

a nozzle chamber structure arranged on the substrate to define a nozzle chamber and a fluid ejection port in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber; and

an actuator that is fast at one end with the substrate and that extends into the nozzle chamber, the actuator comprising

-   -   an actuating member that is connected to the drive circuitry and         anchored at one end to the substrate, the actuating member being         displaceable between a quiescent position and an active position         to eject fluid from the ejection port, at least a portion of the         actuating member being of a shape memory alloy which is         configured so that, when the shape memory alloy makes a phase         transformation, the actuating member is displaced between the         quiescent and active positions, the actuating member being         connected to the drive circuitry so that the shape memory alloy         can be heated above its phase change temperature on receipt of         an electrical signal from the drive circuitry.

The actuating member may incorporate a heating circuit of the shape memory alloy, the heating circuit being connected to the drive circuitry of the substrate.

The actuating member may be a laminated structure, with the heater circuit defining one layer of the actuating member.

The actuating member may include a pre-stressing layer positioned on, and mechanically fast with, the heating circuit. The shape memory alloy may have a generally planar form when in the austenitic phase and the pre-stressing layer may serve to curl the actuating member away from the ejection port when the shape memory alloy is in the martensitic phase such that, when heated, the shape memory alloy drives the actuating member into a planar form, thereby ejecting a drop of ink from the ejection port.

The shape memory alloy may be a nickel titanium alloy. The pre-stressing layer may be high stress silicon nitride.

The heating circuit may be interposed between the pre-stressing layer and a stress reference layer for the pre-stressing layer.

The nozzle chamber structure may be defined by the substrate as a result of an etching process carried out on the substrate, such that one of the layers of the substrate defines the ejection port on one side of the substrate and the actuator is positioned on an opposite side of the substrate.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of ejecting ink from a chamber comprising the steps of: a) providing a cantilevered beam actuator incorporating a shape memory alloy; and b) transforming said shape memory alloy from its martensitic phase to its austenitic phase or vice versa to cause the ink to eject from said chamber. Further, the actuator comprises a conductive shape memory alloy panel in a quiescent state and which transfers to an ink ejection state upon heating thereby causing said ink ejection from the chamber. Preferably, the heating occurs by means of passing a current through the shape memory alloy. The chamber is formed from a crystallographic etch of a silicon wafer so as to have one surface of the chamber substantially formed by the actuator. Advantageously, the actuator is formed from a conductive shape memory alloy arranged in a serpentine form and is attached to one wall of the chamber opposite a nozzle port from which ink is ejected. Further, the nozzle port is formed by the back etching of a silicon wafer to the epitaxial layer and etching a nozzle port hole in the epitaxial layer. The crystallographic etch includes providing side wall slots of non-etched layers of a processed silicon wafer so as to the extend the dimensions of the chamber as a result of the crystallographic etch process. Preferably, the shape memory alloy comprises nickel titanium alloy.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Notwithstanding any other forms which may fall within the scope of the present invention, preferred forms of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a single ink jet nozzle as constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a top cross sectional view of a single ink jet nozzle in its quiescent state taken along line A-A in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top cross sectional view of a single ink jet nozzle in its actuated state taken along line A-A in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 provides a legend of the materials indicated in FIGS. 5 to 15; and

FIG. 5 to FIG. 15 illustrate sectional views of the manufacturing steps in one form of construction of an ink jet printhead nozzle.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED AND OTHER EMBODIMENTS

In the preferred embodiment, shape memory materials are utilized to construct an actuator suitable for injecting ink from the nozzle of an ink chamber.

Turning to FIG. 1, there is illustrated an exploded perspective view 10 of a single ink jet nozzle as constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment. The ink jet nozzle 10 is constructed from a silicon wafer base utilizing back etching of the wafer to a boron doped epitaxial layer. Hence, the ink jet nozzle 10 comprises a lower layer 11 which is constructed from boron doped silicon. The boron doped silicon layer is also utilized a crystallographic etch stop layer. The next layer comprises the silicon layer 12 that includes a crystallographic pit 13 having side walls etched at the usual angle of 54.74. The layer 12 also includes the various required circuitry and transistors for example, CMOS layer (not shown). After this, a 0.5 micron thick thermal silicon oxide layer 15 is grown on top of the silicon wafer 12.

After this, comes various layers which can comprise a two level metal CMOS process layers which provide the metal interconnect for the CMOS transistors formed within the layer 12. The various metal pathways etc. are not shown in FIG. 1 but for two metal interconnects 18, 19 which provide interconnection between a shape memory alloy layer 20 and the CMOS metal layers 16. The shape memory metal layer is next and is shaped in the form of a serpentine coil to be heated by end interconnect/via portions 21,23. A top nitride layer 22 is provided for overall passivation and protection of lower layers in addition to providing a means of inducing tensile stress to curl upwards the shape memory alloy layer 20 in its quiescent state.

The preferred embodiment relies upon the thermal transition of a shape memory alloy 20 (SMA) from its martensitic phase to its austenitic phase. The basis of a shape memory effect is a martensitic transformation which creates a polydemane phase upon cooling. This polydemane phase accommodates finite reversible mechanical deformations without significant changes in the mechanical self energy of the system. Hence, upon re-transformation to the austenitic state the system returns to its former macroscopic state to displaying the well known mechanical memory. The thermal transition is achieved by passing an electrical current through the SMA. The actuator layer 20 is suspended at the entrance to a nozzle chamber connected via leads 18, 19 to the lower layers.

In FIG. 2, there is shown a cross-section of a single nozzle 10 when in its quiescent state, the section basically being taken through the line A-A of FIG. 1. The actuator 30 is bent away from the nozzle when in its quiescent state. In FIG. 3, there is shown a corresponding cross-section for a single nozzle 10 when in an actuated state. When energized, the actuator 30 straightens, with the corresponding result that the ink is pushed out of the nozzle. The process of energizing the actuator 30 requires supplying enough energy to raise the SMA above its transition temperature, and to provide the latent heat of transformation to the SMA 20.

Obviously, the SMA martensitic phase must be pre-stressed to achieve a different shape from the austenitic phase. For printheads with many thousands of nozzles, it is important to achieve this pre-stressing in a bulk manner. This is achieved by depositing the layer of silicon nitride 22 using Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (PECVD) at around 300° C. over the SMA layer. The deposition occurs while the SMA is in the austenitic shape. After the printhead cools to room temperature the substrate under the SMA bend actuator is removed by chemical etching of a sacrificial substance. The silicon nitride layer 22 is under tensile stress, and causes the actuator to curl upwards. The weak martensitic phase of the SMA provides little resistance to this curl. When the SMA is heated to its austenitic phase, it returns to the flat shape into which it was annealed during the nitride deposition. The transformation being rapid enough to result in the ejection of ink from the nozzle chamber.

There is one SMA bend actuator 30 for each nozzle. One end 31 of the SMA bend actuator is mechanically connected to the substrate. The other end is free to move under the stresses inherent in the layers.

Returning to FIG. 1 the actuator layer is therefore composed of three layers:

1. An SiO₂ lower layer 15. This layer acts as a stress ‘reference’ for the nitride tensile layer. It also protects the SMA from the crystallographic silicon etch that forms the nozzle chamber. This layer can be formed as part of the standard CMOS process for the active electronics of the printhead.

2. A SMA heater layer 20. A SMA such as nickel titanium (NiTi) alloy is deposited and etched into a serpentine form to increase the electrical resistance.

3. A silicon nitride top layer 22. This is a thin layer of high stiffness which is deposited using PECVD. The nitride stoichiometry is adjusted to achieve a layer with significant tensile stress at room temperature relative to the SiO₂ lower layer. Its purpose is to bend the actuator at the low temperature martensitic phase.

As noted previously the ink jet nozzle of FIG. 1 can be constructed by utilizing a silicon wafer having a buried boron epitaxial layer. The 0.5 micron thick dioxide layer 15 is then formed having side slots 45 which are utilized in a subsequent crystallographic etch. Next, the various CMOS layers 16 are formed including drive and control circuitry (not shown). The SMA layer 20 is then created on top of layers 15/16 and being interconnected with the drive circuitry. Subsequently, a silicon nitride layer 22 is formed on top. Each of the layers 15, 16, 22 include the various slots eg. 45 which are utilized in a subsequent crystallographic etch. The silicon wafer is subsequently thinned by means of back etching with the etch stop being the boron layer 11. Subsequent boron etching forms the nozzle hole eg. 47 and rim 46 (FIG. 3). Subsequently, the chamber proper is formed by means of a crystallographic etch with the slots 45 defining the extent of the etch within the silicon oxide layer 12.

A large array of nozzles can be formed on the same wafer which in turn is attached to an ink chamber for filling the nozzle chambers.

One form of detailed manufacturing process which can be used to fabricate monolithic ink jet printheads operating in accordance with the principles taught by the present embodiment can proceed utilizing the following steps:

1. Using a double sided polished wafer deposit 3 microns of epitaxial silicon heavily doped with boron.

2. Deposit 10 microns of epitaxial silicon, either p-type or n-type, depending upon the CMOS process used.

3. Complete drive transistors, data distribution, and timing circuits using a 0.5 micron, one poly, 2 metal CMOS process. This step is shown in FIG. 5. For clarity, these diagrams may not be to scale, and may not represent a cross section though any single plane of the nozzle. FIG. 4 is a key to representations of various materials in these manufacturing diagrams, and those of other cross referenced ink jet configurations.

4. Etch the CMOS oxide layers down to silicon or aluminum using Mask 1. This mask defines the nozzle chamber, and the edges of the printheads chips. This step is shown in FIG. 6.

5. Crystallographically etch the exposed silicon using, for example, KOH or EDP (ethylenediamine pyrocatechol). This etch stops on <111> crystallographic planes, and on the boron doped silicon buried layer. This step is shown in FIG. 7.

6. Deposit 12 microns of sacrificial material. Planarize down to oxide using CMP. The sacrificial material temporarily fills the nozzle cavity. This step is shown in FIG. 8.

7. Deposit 0.1 microns of high stress silicon nitride (Si3N4).

8. Etch the nitride layer using Mask 2. This mask defines the contact vias from the shape memory heater to the second-level metal contacts.

9. Deposit a seed layer.

10. Spin on 2 microns of resist, expose with Mask 3, and develop. This mask defines the shape memory wire embedded in the paddle. The resist acts as an electroplating mold. This step is shown in FIG. 9.

11. Electroplate 1 micron of Nitinol. Nitinol is a ‘shape memory’ alloy of nickel and titanium, developed at the Naval Ordnance Laboratory in the US (hence Ni—Ti—NOL). A shape memory alloy can be thermally switched between its weak martensitic state and its high stiffness austenic state.

12. Strip the resist and etch the exposed seed layer. This step is shown in FIG. 10.

13. Wafer probe. All electrical connections are complete at this point, bond pads are accessible, and the chips are not yet separated.

14. Deposit 0.1 microns of high stress silicon nitride. High stress nitride is used so that once the sacrificial material is etched, and the paddle is released, the stress in the nitride layer will bend the relatively weak martensitic phase of the shape memory alloy. As the shape memory alloy—in its austenic phase—is flat when it is annealed by the relatively high temperature deposition of this silicon nitride layer, it will return to this flat state when electrothermally heated.

15. Mount the wafer on a glass blank and back-etch the wafer using KOH with no mask. This etch thins the wafer and stops at the buried boron doped silicon layer. This step is shown in FIG. 11.

16. Plasma back-etch the boron doped silicon layer to a depth of 1 micron using Mask 4. This mask defines the nozzle rim. This step is shown in FIG. 12.

17. Plasma back-etch through the boron doped layer using Mask 5. This mask defines the nozzle, and the edge of the chips. At this stage, the chips are still mounted on the glass blank. This step is shown in FIG. 13.

18. Strip the adhesive layer to detach the chips from the glass blank. Etch the sacrificial layer. This process completely separates the chips. This step is shown in FIG. 14.

19. Mount the printheads in their packaging, which may be a molded plastic former incorporating ink channels which supply different colors of ink to the appropriate regions of the front surface of the wafer.

20. Connect the printheads to their interconnect systems.

21. Hydrophobize the front surface of the printheads.

22. Fill with ink and test the completed printheads. A filled nozzle is shown in FIG. 15.

It would be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the present invention as shown in the specific embodiment without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive.

The presently disclosed ink jet printing technology is potentially suited to a wide range of printing systems including: color and monochrome office printers, short run digital printers, high speed digital printers, offset press supplemental printers, low cost scanning printers, high speed pagewidth printers, notebook computers with inbuilt pagewidth printers, portable color and monochrome printers, color and monochrome copiers, color and monochrome facsimile machines, combined printer, facsimile and copying machines, label printers, large format plotters, photograph copiers, printers for digital photographic ‘minilabs’, video printers, PHOTO CD (PHOTO CD is a registered trademark of the Eastman Kodak Company) printers, portable printers for PDAs, wallpaper printers, indoor sign printers, billboard printers, fabric printers, camera printers and fault tolerant commercial printer arrays.

Ink Jet Technologies

The embodiments of the invention use an ink jet printer type device. Of course many different devices could be used. However presently popular ink jet printing technologies are unlikely to be suitable.

The most significant problem with thermal ink jet is power consumption. This is approximately 100 times that required for high speed, and stems from the energy-inefficient means of drop ejection. This involves the rapid boiling of water to produce a vapor bubble which expels the ink. Water has a very high heat capacity, and must be superheated in thermal ink jet applications. This leads to an efficiency of around 0.02%, from electricity input to drop momentum (and increased surface area) out.

The most significant problem with piezoelectric ink jet is size and cost. Piezoelectric crystals have a very small deflection at reasonable drive voltages, and therefore require a large area for each nozzle. Also, each piezoelectric actuator must be connected to its drive circuit on a separate substrate. This is not a significant problem at the current limit of around 300 nozzles per printhead, but is a major impediment to the fabrication of pagewidth printheads with 19,200 nozzles.

Ideally, the ink jet technologies used meet the stringent requirements of in-camera digital color printing and other high quality, high speed, low cost printing applications. To meet the requirements of digital photography, new ink jet technologies have been created. The target features include:

low power (less than 10 Watts)

high resolution capability (1,600 dpi or more)

photographic quality output

low manufacturing cost

small size (pagewidth times minimum cross section)

high speed (<2 seconds per page).

All of these features can be met or exceeded by the ink jet systems described below with differing levels of difficulty. Forty-five different ink jet technologies have been developed by the Assignee to give a wide range of choices for high volume manufacture. These technologies form part of separate applications assigned to the present Assignee as set out in the table under the heading Cross References to Related Applications.

The ink jet designs shown here are suitable for a wide range of digital printing systems, from battery powered one-time use digital cameras, through to desktop and network printers, and through to commercial printing systems.

For ease of manufacture using standard process equipment, the printhead is designed to be a monolithic 0.5 micron CMOS chip with MEMS post processing. For color photographic applications, the printhead is 100 mm long, with a width which depends upon the ink jet type. The smallest printhead designed is IJ38, which is 0.35 mm wide, giving a chip area of 35 square mm. The printheads each contain 19,200 nozzles plus data and control circuitry.

Ink is supplied to the back of the print head by injection molded plastic ink channels. The molding requires 50 micron features, which can be created using a lithographically micromachined insert in a standard injection molding tool. Ink flows through holes etched through the wafer to the nozzle chambers fabricated on the front surface of the wafer. The printhead is connected to the camera circuitry by tape automated bonding.

Tables of Drop-on-Demand Ink Jets

Eleven important characteristics of the fundamental operation of individual ink jet nozzles have been identified. These characteristics are largely orthogonal, and so can be elucidated as an eleven dimensional matrix. Most of the eleven axes of this matrix include entries developed by the present assignee.

The following tables form the axes of an eleven dimensional table of ink jet types.

Actuator mechanism (18 types)

Basic operation mode (7 types)

Auxiliary mechanism (8 types)

Actuator amplification or modification method (17 types)

Actuator motion (19 types)

Nozzle refill method (4 types)

Method of restricting back-flow through inlet (10 types)

Nozzle clearing method (9 types)

Nozzle plate construction (9 types)

Drop ejection direction (5 types)

Ink type (7 types)

The complete eleven dimensional table represented by these axes contains 36.9 billion possible configurations of ink jet nozzle. While not all of the possible combinations result in a viable ink jet technology, many million configurations are viable. It is clearly impractical to elucidate all of the possible configurations. Instead, certain ink jet types have been investigated in detail. These are designated IJ01 to IJ45 which match the docket numbers in the table under the heading Cross Referenced to Related Application.

Other ink jet configurations can readily be derived from these forty-five examples by substituting alternative configurations along one or more of the 11 axes. Most of the IJ01 to IJ45 examples can be made into ink jet printheads with characteristics superior to any currently available ink jet technology.

Where there are prior art examples known to the inventor, one or more of these examples are listed in the examples column of the tables below. The IJ01 to IJ45 series are also listed in the examples column. In some cases, a print technology may be listed more than once in a table, where it shares characteristics with more than one entry.

Suitable applications for the ink jet technologies include: Home printers, Office network printers, Short run digital printers, Commercial print systems, Fabric printers, Pocket printers, Internet WWW printers, Video printers, Medical imaging, Wide format printers, Notebook PC printers, Fax machines, Industrial printing systems, Photocopiers, Photographic minilabs etc.

The information associated with the aforementioned 11 dimensional matrix are set out in the following tables.

Description Advantages Disadvantages Examples ACTUATOR MECHANISM (APPLIED ONLY TO SELECTED INK DROPS) Thermal An electrothermal Large force High power Canon bubble heater heats the generated Ink carrier Bubblejet 1979 ink to above Simple limited to water Endo et al GB boiling point, construction Low patent 2,007,162 transferring No moving efficiency Xerox heater- significant heat to parts High in-pit 1990 the aqueous ink. A Fast operation temperatures Hawkins et al bubble nucleates Small chip required U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,181 and quickly forms, area required for High Hewlett- expelling the ink. actuator mechanical Packard TIJ The efficiency of stress 1982 Vaught et the process is low, Unusual al U.S. Pat. No. with typically less materials 4,490,728 than 0.05% of the required electrical energy Large drive being transformed transistors into kinetic energy Cavitation of the drop. causes actuator failure Kogation reduces bubble formation Large print heads are difficult to fabricate Piezo- A piezoelectric Low power Very large Kyser et al electric crystal such as consumption area required for U.S. Pat. No. 3,946,398 lead lanthanum Many ink actuator Zoltan U.S. Pat. No. zirconate (PZT) is types can be Difficult to 3,683,212 electrically used integrate with 1973 Stemme activated, and Fast operation electronics U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,120 either expands, High High voltage Epson Stylus shears, or bends to efficiency drive transistors Tektronix apply pressure to required IJ04 the ink, ejecting Full drops. pagewidth print heads impractical due to actuator size Requires electrical poling in high field strengths during manufacture Electro- An electric field is Low power Low Seiko Epson, strictive used to activate consumption maximum strain Usui et all JP electrostriction in Many ink (approx. 0.01%) 253401/96 relaxor materials types can be Large area IJ04 such as lead used required for lanthanum Low thermal actuator due to zirconate titanate expansion low strain (PLZT) or lead Electric field Response magnesium strength required speed is niobate (PMN). (approx. 3.5 V/μm) marginal (~10 μs) can be High voltage generated drive transistors without required difficulty Full Does not pagewidth print require electrical heads poling impractical due to actuator size Ferro- An electric field is Low power Difficult to IJ04 electric used to induce a consumption integrate with phase transition Many ink electronics between the types can be Unusual antiferroelectric used materials such as (AFE) and Fast operation PLZSnT are ferroelectric (FE) (<1 μs) required phase. Perovskite Relatively Actuators materials such as high longitudinal require a large tin modified lead strain area lanthanum High zirconate titanate efficiency (PLZSnT) exhibit Electric field large strains of up strength of to 1% associated around 3 V/μm with the AFE to can be readily FE phase provided transition. Electro- Conductive plates Low power Difficult to IJ02, IJ04 static are separated by a consumption operate plates compressible or Many ink electrostatic fluid dielectric types can be devices in an (usually air). Upon used aqueous application of a Fast operation environment voltage, the plates The attract each other electrostatic and displace ink, actuator will causing drop normally need to ejection. The be separated conductive plates from the ink may be in a comb Very large or honeycomb area required to structure, or achieve high stacked to increase forces the surface area High voltage and therefore the drive transistors force. may be required Full pagewidth print heads are not competitive due to actuator size Electro- A strong electric Low current High voltage 1989 Saito et static pull field is applied to consumption required al, U.S. Pat. No. on ink the ink, whereupon Low May be 4,799,068 electrostatic temperature damaged by 1989 Miura et attraction sparks due to air al, U.S. Pat. No. accelerates the ink breakdown 4,810,954 towards the print Required field Tone-jet medium. strength increases as the drop size decreases High voltage drive transistors required Electrostatic field attracts dust Permanent An electromagnet Low power Complex IJ07, IJ10 magnet directly attracts a consumption fabrication electro- permanent magnet, Many ink Permanent magnetic displacing ink and types can be magnetic causing drop used material such as ejection. Rare Fast operation Neodymium Iron earth magnets with High Boron (NdFeB) a field strength efficiency required. around 1 Tesla can Easy High local be used. Examples extension from currents required are: Samarium single nozzles to Copper Cobalt (SaCo) and pagewidth print metalization magnetic materials heads should be used in the neodymium for long iron boron family electromigration (NdFeB, lifetime and low NdDyFeBNb, resistivity NdDyFeB, etc) Pigmented inks are usually infeasible Operating temperature limited to the Curie temperature (around 540 K) Soft A solenoid Low power Complex IJ01, IJ05, magnetic induced a consumption fabrication IJ08, IJ10, IJ12, core magnetic field in a Many ink Materials not IJ14, IJ15, IJ17 electro- soft magnetic core types can be usually present magnetic or yoke fabricated used in a CMOS fab from a ferrous Fast operation such as NiFe, material such as High CoNiFe, or CoFe electroplated iron efficiency are required alloys such as Easy High local CoNiFe [1], CoFe, extension from currents required or NiFe alloys. single nozzles to Copper Typically, the soft pagewidth print metalization magnetic material heads should be used is in two parts, for long which are electromigration normally held lifetime and low apart by a spring. resistivity When the solenoid Electroplating is actuated, the two is required parts attract, High displacing the ink. saturation flux density is required (2.0-2.1 T is achievable with CoNiFe [1]) Lorenz The Lorenz force Low power Force acts as a IJ06, IJ11, force acting on a current consumption twisting motion IJ13, IJ16 carrying wire in a Many ink Typically, magnetic field is types can be only a quarter of utilized. used the solenoid This allows the Fast operation length provides magnetic field to High force in a useful be supplied efficiency direction externally to the Easy High local print head, for extension from currents required example with rare single nozzles to Copper earth permanent pagewidth print metalization magnets. heads should be used Only the current for long carrying wire need electromigration be fabricated on lifetime and low the print-head, resistivity simplifying Pigmented materials inks are usually requirements. infeasible Magneto- The actuator uses Many ink Force acts as a Fischenbeck, striction the giant types can be twisting motion U.S. Pat. No. 4,032,929 magnetostrictive used Unusual IJ25 effect of materials Fast operation materials such as such as Terfenol-D Easy Terfenol-D are (an alloy of extension from required terbium, single nozzles to High local dysprosium and pagewidth print currents required iron developed at heads Copper the Naval High force is metalization Ordnance available should be used Laboratory, hence for long Ter-Fe-NOL). For electromigration best efficiency, the lifetime and low actuator should be resistivity pre-stressed to Pre-stressing approx. 8 MPa. may be required Surface Ink under positive Low power Requires Silverbrook, tension pressure is held in consumption supplementary EP 0771 658 A2 reduction a nozzle by surface Simple force to effect and related tension. The construction drop separation patent surface tension of No unusual Requires applications the ink is reduced materials special ink below the bubble required in surfactants threshold, causing fabrication Speed may be the ink to egress High limited by from the nozzle. efficiency surfactant Easy properties extension from single nozzles to pagewidth print heads Viscosity The ink viscosity Simple Requires Silverbrook, reduction is locally reduced construction supplementary EP 0771 658 A2 to select which No unusual force to effect and related drops are to be materials drop separation patent ejected. A required in Requires applications viscosity reduction fabrication special ink can be achieved Easy viscosity electrothermally extension from properties with most inks, but single nozzles to High speed is special inks can be pagewidth print difficult to engineered for a heads achieve 100:1 viscosity Requires reduction. oscillating ink pressure A high temperature difference (typically 80 degrees) is required Acoustic An acoustic wave Can operate Complex 1993 is generated and without a nozzle drive circuitry Hadimioglu et focussed upon the plate Complex al, EUP 550,192 drop ejection fabrication 1993 Elrod et region. Low al, EUP 572,220 efficiency Poor control of drop position Poor control of drop volume Thermo- An actuator which Low power Efficient IJ03, IJ09, elastic relies upon consumption aqueous IJ17, IJ18, IJ19, bend differential Many ink operation IJ20, IJ21, IJ22, actuator thermal expansion types can be requires a IJ23, IJ24, IJ27, upon Joule heating used thermal insulator IJ28, IJ29, IJ30, is used. Simple planar on the hot side IJ31, IJ32, IJ33, fabrication Corrosion IJ34, IJ35, IJ36, Small chip prevention can IJ37, IJ38, IJ39, area required for be difficult IJ40, IJ41 each actuator Pigmented Fast operation inks may be High infeasible, as efficiency pigment particles CMOS may jam the compatible bend actuator voltages and currents Standard MEMS processes can be used Easy extension from single nozzles to pagewidth print heads High CTE A material with a High force Requires IJ09, IJ17, thermo- very high can be generated special material IJ18, IJ20, IJ21, elastic coefficient of Three (e.g. PTFE) IJ22, IJ23, IJ24, actuator thermal expansion methods of Requires a IJ27, IJ28, IJ29, (CTE) such as PTFE deposition PTFE deposition IJ30, IJ31, IJ42, polytetrafluoroethylene are under process, which is IJ43, IJ44 (PTFE) is development: not yet standard used. As high CTE chemical vapor in ULSI fabs materials are deposition PTFE usually non- (CVD), spin deposition conductive, a coating, and cannot be heater fabricated evaporation followed with from a conductive PTFE is a high temperature material is candidate for (above 350° C.) incorporated. A 50 μm low dielectric processing long PTFE constant Pigmented bend actuator with insulation in inks may be polysilicon heater ULSI infeasible, as and 15 mW power Very low pigment particles input can provide power may jam the 180 μN force and consumption bend actuator 10 μm deflection. Many ink Actuator motions types can be include: used Bend Simple planar Push fabrication Buckle Small chip Rotate area required for each actuator Fast operation High efficiency CMOS compatible voltages and currents Easy extension from single nozzles to pagewidth print heads Conductive A polymer with a High force Requires IJ24 polymer high coefficient of can be generated special materials thermo- thermal expansion Very low development elastic (such as PTFE) is power (High CTE actuator doped with consumption conductive conducting Many ink polymer) substances to types can be Requires a increase its used PTFE deposition conductivity to Simple planar process, which is about 3 orders of fabrication not yet standard magnitude below Small chip in ULSI fabs that of copper. The area required for PTFE conducting each actuator deposition polymer expands Fast operation cannot be when resistively High followed with heated. efficiency high temperature Examples of CMOS (above 350° C.) conducting compatible processing dopants include: voltages and Evaporation Carbon nanotubes currents and CVD Metal fibers Easy deposition Conductive extension from techniques polymers such as single nozzles to cannot be used doped pagewidth print Pigmented polythiophene heads inks may be Carbon granules infeasible, as pigment particles may jam the bend actuator Shape A shape memory High force is Fatigue limits IJ26 memory alloy such as TiNi available maximum alloy (also known as (stresses of number of cycles Nitinol - Nickel hundreds of Low strain Titanium alloy MPa) (1%) is required developed at the Large strain is to extend fatigue Naval Ordnance available (more resistance Laboratory) is than 3%) Cycle rate thermally switched High limited by heat between its weak corrosion removal martensitic state resistance Requires and its high Simple unusual stiffness austenic construction materials (TiNi) state. The shape of Easy The latent the actuator in its extension from heat of martensitic state is single nozzles to transformation deformed relative pagewidth print must be to the austenic heads provided shape. The shape Low voltage High current change causes operation operation ejection of a drop. Requires pre- stressing to distort the martensitic state Linear Linear magnetic Linear Requires IJ12 Magnetic actuators include Magnetic unusual Actuator the Linear actuators can be semiconductor Induction Actuator constructed with materials such as (LIA), Linear high thrust, long soft magnetic Permanent Magnet travel, and high alloys (e.g. Synchronous efficiency using CoNiFe) Actuator planar Some varieties (LPMSA), Linear semiconductor also require Reluctance fabrication permanent Synchronous techniques magnetic Actuator (LRSA), Long actuator materials such as Linear Switched travel is Neodymium iron Reluctance available boron (NdFeB) Actuator (LSRA), Medium force Requires and the Linear is available complex multi- Stepper Actuator Low voltage phase drive (LSA). operation circuitry High current operation BASIC OPERATION MODE Actuator This is the Simple Drop Thermal ink directly simplest mode of operation repetition rate is jet pushes operation: the No external usually limited Piezoelectric ink actuator directly fields required to around 10 kHz. ink jet supplies sufficient Satellite drops However, IJ01, IJ02, kinetic energy to can be avoided if this is not IJ03, IJ04, IJ05, expel the drop. drop velocity is fundamental to IJ06, IJ07, IJ09, The drop must less than 4 m/s the method, but IJ11, IJ12, IJ14, have a sufficient Can be is related to the IJ16, IJ20, IJ22, velocity to efficient, refill method IJ23, IJ24, IJ25, overcome the depending upon normally used IJ26, IJ27, IJ28, surface tension. the actuator used All of the drop IJ29, IJ30, IJ31, kinetic energy IJ32, IJ33, IJ34, must be IJ35, IJ36, IJ37, provided by the IJ38, IJ39, IJ40, actuator IJ41, IJ42, IJ43, Satellite drops IJ44 usually form if drop velocity is greater than 4.5 m/s Proximity The drops to be Very simple Requires close Silverbrook, printed are print head proximity EP 0771 658 A2 selected by some fabrication can between the and related manner (e.g. be used print head and patent thermally induced The drop the print media applications surface tension selection means or transfer roller reduction of does not need to May require pressurized ink). provide the two print heads Selected drops are energy required printing alternate separated from the to separate the rows of the ink in the nozzle drop from the image by contact with the nozzle Monolithic print medium or a color print heads transfer roller. are difficult Electro- The drops to be Very simple Requires very Silverbrook, static pull printed are print head high electrostatic EP 0771 658 A2 on ink selected by some fabrication can field and related manner (e.g. be used Electrostatic patent thermally induced The drop field for small applications surface tension selection means nozzle sizes is Tone-Jet reduction of does not need to above air pressurized ink). provide the breakdown Selected drops are energy required Electrostatic separated from the to separate the field may attract ink in the nozzle drop from the dust by a strong electric nozzle field. Magnetic The drops to be Very simple Requires Silverbrook, pull on printed are print head magnetic ink EP 0771 658 A2 ink selected by some fabrication can Ink colors and related manner (e.g. be used other than black patent thermally induced The drop are difficult applications surface tension selection means Requires very reduction of does not need to high magnetic pressurized ink). provide the fields Selected drops are energy required separated from the to separate the ink in the nozzle drop from the by a strong nozzle magnetic field acting on the magnetic ink. Shutter The actuator High speed Moving parts IJ13, IJ17, moves a shutter to (>50 kHz) are required IJ21 block ink flow to operation can be Requires ink the nozzle. The ink achieved due to pressure pressure is pulsed reduced refill modulator at a multiple of the time Friction and drop ejection Drop timing wear must be frequency. can be very considered accurate Stiction is The actuator possible energy can be very low Shuttered The actuator Actuators with Moving parts IJ08, IJ15, grill moves a shutter to small travel can are required IJ18, IJ19 block ink flow be used Requires ink through a grill to Actuators with pressure the nozzle. The small force can modulator shutter movement be used Friction and need only be equal High speed wear must be to the width of the (>50 kHz) considered grill holes. operation can be Stiction is achieved possible Pulsed A pulsed magnetic Extremely low Requires an IJ10 magnetic field attracts an energy operation external pulsed pull on ‘ink pusher’ at the is possible magnetic field ink drop ejection No heat Requires pusher frequency. An dissipation special materials actuator controls a problems for both the catch, which actuator and the prevents the ink ink pusher pusher from Complex moving when a construction drop is not to be ejected. AUXILIARY MECHANISM (APPLIED TO ALL NOZZLES) None The actuator Simplicity of Drop ejection Most ink jets, directly fires the construction energy must be including ink drop, and there Simplicity of supplied by piezoelectric and is no external field operation individual nozzle thermal bubble. or other Small physical actuator IJ01, IJ02, mechanism size IJ03, IJ04, IJ05, required. IJ07, IJ09, IJ11, IJ12, IJ14, IJ20, IJ22, IJ23, IJ24, IJ25, IJ26, IJ27, IJ28, IJ29, IJ30, IJ31, IJ32, IJ33, IJ34, IJ35, IJ36, IJ37, IJ38, IJ39, IJ40, IJ41, IJ42, IJ43, IJ44 Oscillating The ink pressure Oscillating ink Requires Silverbrook, ink oscillates, pressure can external ink EP 0771 658 A2 pressure providing much of provide a refill pressure and related (including the drop ejection pulse, allowing oscillator patent acoustic energy. The higher operating Ink pressure applications stimulation) actuator selects speed phase and IJ08, IJ13, which drops are to The actuators amplitude must IJ15, IJ17, IJ18, be fired by may operate be carefully IJ19, IJ21 selectively with much lower controlled blocking or energy Acoustic enabling nozzles. Acoustic reflections in the The ink pressure lenses can be ink chamber oscillation may be used to focus the must be achieved by sound on the designed for vibrating the print nozzles head, or preferably by an actuator in the ink supply. Media The print head is Low power Precision Silverbrook, proximity placed in close High accuracy assembly EP 0771 658 A2 proximity to the Simple print required and related print medium. head Paper fibers patent Selected drops construction may cause applications protrude from the problems print head further Cannot print than unselected on rough drops, and contact substrates the print medium. The drop soaks into the medium fast enough to cause drop separation. Transfer Drops are printed High accuracy Bulky Silverbrook, roller to a transfer roller Wide range of Expensive EP 0771 658 A2 instead of straight print substrates Complex and related to the print can be used construction patent medium. A Ink can be applications transfer roller can dried on the Tektronix hot also be used for transfer roller melt proximity drop piezoelectric ink separation. jet Any of the IJ series Electro- An electric field is Low power Field strength Silverbrook, static used to accelerate Simple print required for EP 0771 658 A2 selected drops head separation of and related towards the print construction small drops is patent medium. near or above air applications breakdown Tone-Jet Direct A magnetic field is Low power Requires Silverbrook, magnetic used to accelerate Simple print magnetic ink EP 0771 658 A2 field selected drops of head Requires and related magnetic ink construction strong magnetic patent towards the print field applications medium. Cross The print head is Does not Requires IJ06, IJ16 magnetic placed in a require magnetic external magnet field constant magnetic materials to be Current field. The Lorenz integrated in the densities may be force in a current print head high, resulting in carrying wire is manufacturing electromigration used to move the process problems actuator. Pulsed A pulsed magnetic Very low Complex print IJ10 magnetic field is used to power operation head field cyclically attract a is possible construction paddle, which Small print Magnetic pushes on the ink. head size materials A small actuator required in print moves a catch, head which selectively prevents the paddle from moving. ACTUATOR AMPLIFICATION OR MODIFICATION METHOD None No actuator Operational Many actuator Thermal mechanical simplicity mechanisms Bubble Ink jet amplification is have insufficient IJ01, IJ02, used. The actuator travel, or IJ06, IJ07, IJ16, directly drives the insufficient IJ25, IJ26 drop ejection force, to process. efficiently drive the drop ejection process Differential An actuator Provides High stresses Piezoelectric expansion material expands greater travel in are involved IJ03, IJ09, bend more on one side a reduced print Care must be IJ17, IJ18, IJ19, actuator than on the other. head area taken that the IJ20, IJ21, IJ22, The expansion materials do not IJ23, IJ24, IJ27, may be thermal, delaminate IJ29, IJ30, IJ31, piezoelectric, Residual bend IJ32, IJ33, IJ34, magnetostrictive, resulting from IJ35, IJ36, IJ37, or other high temperature IJ38, IJ39, IJ42, mechanism. The or high stress IJ43, IJ44 bend actuator during formation converts a high force low travel actuator mechanism to high travel, lower force mechanism. Transient A trilayer bend Very good High stresses IJ40, IJ41 bend actuator where the temperature are involved actuator two outside layers stability Care must be are identical. This High speed, as taken that the cancels bend due a new drop can materials do not to ambient be fired before delaminate temperature and heat dissipates residual stress. The Cancels actuator only residual stress of responds to formation transient heating of one side or the other. Reverse The actuator loads Better Fabrication IJ05, IJ11 spring a spring. When the coupling to the complexity actuator is turned ink High stress in off, the spring the spring releases. This can reverse the force/distance curve of the actuator to make it compatible with the force/time requirements of the drop ejection. Actuator A series of thin Increased Increased Some stack actuators are travel fabrication piezoelectric ink stacked. This can Reduced drive complexity jets be appropriate voltage Increased IJ04 where actuators possibility of require high short circuits due electric field to pinholes strength, such as electrostatic and piezoelectric actuators. Multiple Multiple smaller Increases the Actuator IJ12, IJ13, actuators actuators are used force available forces may not IJ18, IJ20, IJ22, simultaneously to from an actuator add linearly, IJ28, IJ42, IJ43 move the ink. Each Multiple reducing actuator need actuators can be efficiency provide only a positioned to portion of the control ink flow force required. accurately Linear A linear spring is Matches low Requires print IJ15 Spring used to transform a travel actuator head area for the motion with small with higher spring travel and high travel force into a longer requirements travel, lower force Non-contact motion. method of motion transformation Coiled A bend actuator is Increases Generally IJ17, IJ21, actuator coiled to provide travel restricted to IJ34, IJ35 greater travel in a Reduces chip planar reduced chip area. area implementations Planar due to extreme implementations fabrication are relatively difficulty in easy to fabricate. other orientations. Flexure A bend actuator Simple means Care must be IJ10, IJ19, bend has a small region of increasing taken not to IJ33 actuator near the fixture travel of a bend exceed the point, which flexes actuator elastic limit in much more readily the flexure area than the remainder Stress of the actuator. distribution is The actuator very uneven flexing is Difficult to effectively accurately model converted from an with finite even coiling to an element analysis angular bend, resulting in greater travel of the actuator tip. Catch The actuator Very low Complex IJ10 controls a small actuator energy construction catch. The catch Very small Requires either enables or actuator size external force disables movement Unsuitable for of an ink pusher pigmented inks that is controlled in a bulk manner. Gears Gears can be used Low force, Moving parts IJ13 to increase travel low travel are required at the expense of actuators can be Several duration. Circular used actuator cycles gears, rack and Can be are required pinion, ratchets, fabricated using More complex and other gearing standard surface drive electronics methods can be MEMS Complex used. processes construction Friction, friction, and wear are possible Buckle A buckle plate can Very fast Must stay S. Hirata et al, plate be used to change movement within elastic “An Ink-jet a slow actuator achievable limits of the Head Using into a fast motion. materials for Diaphragm It can also convert long device life Microactuator”, a high force, low High stresses Proc. IEEE travel actuator into involved MEMS, February a high travel, Generally 1996, pp 418-423. medium force high power IJ18, IJ27 motion. requirement Tapered A tapered Linearizes the Complex IJ14 magnetic magnetic pole can magnetic construction pole increase travel at force/distance the expense of curve force. Lever A lever and Matches low High stress IJ32, IJ36, fulcrum is used to travel actuator around the IJ37 transform a motion with higher fulcrum with small travel travel and high force into requirements a motion with Fulcrum area longer travel and has no linear lower force. The movement, and lever can also can be used for a reverse the fluid seal direction of travel. Rotary The actuator is High Complex IJ28 impeller connected to a mechanical construction rotary impeller. A advantage Unsuitable for small angular The ratio of pigmented inks deflection of the force to travel of actuator results in the actuator can a rotation of the be matched to impeller vanes, the nozzle which push the ink requirements by against stationary varying the vanes and out of number of the nozzle. impeller vanes Acoustic A refractive or No moving Large area 1993 lens diffractive (e.g. parts required Hadimioglu et zone plate) Only relevant al, EUP 550,192 acoustic lens is for acoustic ink 1993 Elrod et used to concentrate jets al, EUP 572,220 sound waves. Sharp A sharp point is Simple Difficult to Tone-jet conductive used to concentrate construction fabricate using point an electrostatic standard VLSI field. processes for a surface ejecting ink-jet Only relevant for electrostatic ink jets ACTUATOR MOTION Volume The volume of the Simple High energy is Hewlett- expansion actuator changes, construction in typically Packard Thermal pushing the ink in the case of required to Ink jet all directions. thermal ink jet achieve volume Canon expansion. This Bubblejet leads to thermal stress, cavitation, and kogation in thermal ink jet implementations Linear, The actuator Efficient High IJ01, IJ02, normal to moves in a coupling to ink fabrication IJ04, IJ07, IJ11, chip direction normal to drops ejected complexity may IJ14 surface the print head normal to the be required to surface. The surface achieve nozzle is typically perpendicular in the line of motion movement. Parallel to The actuator Suitable for Fabrication IJ12, IJ13, chip moves parallel to planar complexity IJ15, IJ33,, IJ34, surface the print head fabrication Friction IJ35, IJ36 surface. Drop Stiction ejection may still be normal to the surface. Membrane An actuator with a The effective Fabrication 1982 Howkins push high force but area of the complexity U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,601 small area is used actuator Actuator size to push a stiff becomes the Difficulty of membrane that is membrane area integration in a in contact with the VLSI process ink. Rotary The actuator Rotary levers Device IJ05, IJ08, causes the rotation may be used to complexity IJ13, IJ28 of some element, increase travel May have such a grill or Small chip friction at a pivot impeller area point requirements Bend The actuator bends A very small Requires the 1970 Kyser et when energized. change in actuator to be al U.S. Pat. No. This may be due to dimensions can made from at 3,946,398 differential be converted to a least two distinct 1973 Stemme thermal expansion, large motion. layers, or to have U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,120 piezoelectric a thermal IJ03, IJ09, expansion, difference across IJ10, IJ19, IJ23, magnetostriction, the actuator IJ24, IJ25, IJ29, or other form of IJ30, IJ31, IJ33, relative IJ34, IJ35 dimensional change. Swivel The actuator Allows Inefficient IJ06 swivels around a operation where coupling to the central pivot. This the net linear ink motion motion is suitable force on the where there are paddle is zero opposite forces Small chip applied to opposite area sides of the paddle, requirements e.g. Lorenz force. Straighten The actuator is Can be used Requires IJ26, IJ32 normally bent, and with shape careful balance straightens when memory alloys of stresses to energized. where the ensure that the austenic phase is quiescent bend is planar accurate Double The actuator bends One actuator Difficult to IJ36, IJ37, bend in one direction can be used to make the drops IJ38 when one element power two ejected by both is energized, and nozzles. bend directions bends the other Reduced chip identical. way when another size. A small element is Not sensitive efficiency loss energized. to ambient compared to temperature equivalent single bend actuators. Shear Energizing the Can increase Not readily 1985 Fishbeck actuator causes a the effective applicable to U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,590 shear motion in the travel of other actuator actuator material. piezoelectric mechanisms actuators Radial The actuator Relatively High force 1970 Zoltan constriction squeezes an ink easy to fabricate required U.S. Pat. No. 3,683,212 reservoir, forcing single nozzles Inefficient ink from a from glass Difficult to constricted nozzle. tubing as integrate with macroscopic VLSI processes structures Coil/ A coiled actuator Easy to Difficult to IJ17, IJ21, uncoil uncoils or coils fabricate as a fabricate for IJ34, IJ35 more tightly. The planar VLSI non-planar motion of the free process devices end of the actuator Small area Poor out-of- ejects the ink. required, plane stiffness therefore low cost Bow The actuator bows Can increase Maximum IJ16, IJ18, (or buckles) in the the speed of travel is IJ27 middle when travel constrained energized. Mechanically High force rigid required Push-Pull Two actuators The structure Not readily IJ18 control a shutter. is pinned at both suitable for ink One actuator pulls ends, so has a jets which the shutter, and the high out-of- directly push the other pushes it. plane rigidity ink Curl A set of actuators Good fluid Design IJ20, IJ42 inwards curl inwards to flow to the complexity reduce the volume region behind of ink that they the actuator enclose. increases efficiency Curl A set of actuators Relatively Relatively IJ43 outwards curl outwards, simple large chip area pressurizing ink in construction a chamber surrounding the actuators, and expelling ink from a nozzle in the chamber. Iris Multiple vanes High High IJ22 enclose a volume efficiency fabrication of ink. These Small chip complexity simultaneously area Not suitable rotate, reducing for pigmented the volume inks between the vanes. Acoustic The actuator The actuator Large area 1993 vibration vibrates at a high can be required for Hadimioglu et frequency. physically efficient al, EUP 550,192 distant from the operation at 1993 Elrod et ink useful al, EUP 572,220 frequencies Acoustic coupling and crosstalk Complex drive circuitry Poor control of drop volume and position None In various ink jet No moving Various other Silverbrook, designs the parts tradeoffs are EP 0771 658 A2 actuator does not required to and related move. eliminate patent moving parts applications Tone-jet NOZZLE REFILL METHOD Surface This is the normal Fabrication Low speed Thermal ink tension way that ink jets simplicity Surface jet are refilled. After Operational tension force Piezoelectric the actuator is simplicity relatively small ink jet energized, it compared to IJ01-IJ07, typically returns actuator force IJ10-IJ14, IJ16, rapidly to its Long refill IJ20, IJ22-IJ45 normal position. time usually This rapid return dominates the sucks in air total repetition through the nozzle rate opening. The ink surface tension at the nozzle then exerts a small force restoring the meniscus to a minimum area. This force refills the nozzle. Shuttered Ink to the nozzle High speed Requires IJ08, IJ13, oscillating chamber is Low actuator common ink IJ15, IJ17, IJ18, ink provided at a energy, as the pressure IJ19, IJ21 pressure pressure that actuator need oscillator oscillates at twice only open or May not be the drop ejection close the shutter, suitable for frequency. When a instead of pigmented inks drop is to be ejecting the ink ejected, the shutter drop is opened for 3 half cycles: drop ejection, actuator return, and refill. The shutter is then closed to prevent the nozzle chamber emptying during the next negative pressure cycle. Refill After the main High speed, as Requires two IJ09 actuator actuator has the nozzle is independent ejected a drop a actively refilled actuators per second (refill) nozzle actuator is energized. The refill actuator pushes ink into the nozzle chamber. The refill actuator returns slowly, to prevent its return from emptying the chamber again. Positive The ink is held a High refill Surface spill Silverbrook, ink slight positive rate, therefore a must be EP 0771 658 A2 pressure pressure. After the high drop prevented and related ink drop is ejected, repetition rate is Highly patent the nozzle possible hydrophobic applications chamber fills print head Alternative quickly as surface surfaces are for:, IJ01-IJ07, tension and ink required IJ10-IJ14, IJ16, pressure both IJ20, IJ22-IJ45 operate to refill the nozzle. METHOD OF RESTRICTING BACK-FLOW THROUGH INLET Long inlet The ink inlet Design Restricts refill Thermal ink channel channel to the simplicity rate jet nozzle chamber is Operational May result in Piezoelectric made long and simplicity a relatively large ink jet relatively narrow, Reduces chip area IJ42, IJ43 relying on viscous crosstalk Only partially drag to reduce effective inlet back-flow. Positive The ink is under a Drop selection Requires a Silverbrook, ink positive pressure, and separation method (such as EP 0771 658 A2 pressure so that in the forces can be a nozzle rim or and related quiescent state reduced effective patent some of the ink Fast refill time hydrophobizing, applications drop already or both) to Possible protrudes from the prevent flooding operation of the nozzle. of the ejection following: IJ01-IJ07, This reduces the surface of the IJ09-IJ12, pressure in the print head. IJ14, IJ16, IJ20, nozzle chamber IJ22,, IJ23-IJ34, which is required IJ36-IJ41, IJ44 to eject a certain volume of ink. The reduction in chamber pressure results in a reduction in ink pushed out through the inlet. Baffle One or more The refill rate Design HP Thermal baffles are placed is not as complexity Ink Jet in the inlet ink restricted as the May increase Tektronix flow. When the long inlet fabrication piezoelectric ink actuator is method. complexity (e.g. jet energized, the Reduces Tektronix hot rapid ink crosstalk melt movement creates Piezoelectric eddies which print heads). restrict the flow through the inlet. The slower refill process is unrestricted, and does not result in eddies. Flexible In this method Significantly Not applicable Canon flap recently disclosed reduces back- to most ink jet restricts by Canon, the flow for edge- configurations inlet expanding actuator shooter thermal Increased (bubble) pushes on ink jet devices fabrication a flexible flap that complexity restricts the inlet. Inelastic deformation of polymer flap results in creep over extended use Inlet filter A filter is located Additional Restricts refill IJ04, IJ12, between the ink advantage of ink rate IJ24, IJ27, IJ29, inlet and the filtration May result in IJ30 nozzle chamber. Ink filter may complex The filter has a be fabricated construction multitude of small with no holes or slots, additional restricting ink process steps flow. The filter also removes particles which may block the nozzle. Small The ink inlet Design Restricts refill IJ02, IJ37, inlet channel to the simplicity rate IJ44 compared nozzle chamber May result in to nozzle has a substantially a relatively large smaller cross chip area section than that of Only partially the nozzle, effective resulting in easier ink egress out of the nozzle than out of the inlet. Inlet A secondary Increases Requires IJ09 shutter actuator controls speed of the ink- separate refill the position of a jet print head actuator and shutter, closing off operation drive circuit the ink inlet when the main actuator is energized. The inlet The method avoids Back-flow Requires IJ01, IJ03, is located the problem of problem is careful design to IJ05, IJ06, IJ07, behind inlet back-flow by eliminated minimize the IJ10, IJ11, IJ14, the ink- arranging the ink- negative IJ16, IJ22, IJ23, pushing pushing surface of pressure behind IJ25, IJ28, IJ31, surface the actuator the paddle IJ32, IJ33, IJ34, between the inlet IJ35, IJ36, IJ39, and the nozzle. IJ40, IJ41 Part of The actuator and a Significant Small increase IJ07, IJ20, the wall of the ink reductions in in fabrication IJ26, IJ38 actuator chamber are back-flow can be complexity moves to arranged so that achieved shut off the motion of the Compact the inlet actuator closes off designs possible the inlet. Nozzle In some Ink back-flow None related Silverbrook, actuator configurations of problem is to ink back-flow EP 0771 658 A2 does not ink jet, there is no eliminated on actuation and related result in expansion or patent ink back- movement of an applications flow actuator which Valve-jet may cause ink Tone-jet back-flow through the inlet. NOZZLE CLEARING METHOD Normal All of the nozzles No added May not be Most ink jet nozzle are fired complexity on sufficient to systems firing periodically, the print head displace dried IJ01, IJ02, before the ink has ink IJ03, IJ04, IJ05, a chance to dry. IJ06, IJ07, IJ09, When not in use IJ10, IJ11, IJ12, the nozzles are IJ14, IJ16, IJ20, sealed (capped) IJ22, IJ23, IJ24, against air. IJ25, IJ26, IJ27, The nozzle firing IJ28, IJ29, IJ30, is usually IJ31, IJ32, IJ33, performed during a IJ34, IJ36, IJ37, special clearing IJ38, IJ39, IJ40,, cycle, after first IJ41, IJ42, IJ43, moving the print IJ44,, IJ45 head to a cleaning station. Extra In systems which Can be highly Requires Silverbrook, power to heat the ink, but do effective if the higher drive EP 0771 658 A2 ink heater not boil it under heater is voltage for and related normal situations, adjacent to the clearing patent nozzle clearing can nozzle May require applications be achieved by larger drive over-powering the transistors heater and boiling ink at the nozzle. Rapid The actuator is Does not Effectiveness May be used succession fired in rapid require extra depends with: IJ01, IJ02, of succession. In drive circuits on substantially IJ03, IJ04, IJ05, actuator some the print head upon the IJ06, IJ07, IJ09, pulses configurations, this Can be readily configuration of IJ10, IJ11, IJ14, may cause heat controlled and the ink jet nozzle IJ16, IJ20, IJ22, build-up at the initiated by IJ23, IJ24, IJ25, nozzle which boils digital logic IJ27, IJ28, IJ29, the ink, clearing IJ30, IJ31, IJ32, the nozzle. In other IJ33, IJ34, IJ36, situations, it may IJ37, IJ38, IJ39, cause sufficient IJ40, IJ41, IJ42, vibrations to IJ43, IJ44, IJ45 dislodge clogged nozzles. Extra Where an actuator A simple Not suitable May be used power to is not normally solution where where there is a with: IJ03, IJ09, ink driven to the limit applicable hard limit to IJ16, IJ20, IJ23, pushing of its motion, actuator IJ24, IJ25, IJ27, actuator nozzle clearing movement IJ29, IJ30, IJ31, may be assisted by IJ32, IJ39, IJ40, providing an IJ41, IJ42, IJ43, enhanced drive IJ44, IJ45 signal to the actuator. Acoustic An ultrasonic A high nozzle High IJ08, IJ13, resonance wave is applied to clearing implementation IJ15, IJ17, IJ18, the ink chamber. capability can be cost if system IJ19, IJ21 This wave is of an achieved does not already appropriate May be include an amplitude and implemented at acoustic actuator frequency to cause very low cost in sufficient force at systems which the nozzle to clear already include blockages. This is acoustic easiest to achieve actuators if the ultrasonic wave is at a resonant frequency of the ink cavity. Nozzle A microfabricated Can clear Accurate Silverbrook, clearing plate is pushed severely clogged mechanical EP 0771 658 A2 plate against the nozzles alignment is and related nozzles. The plate required patent has a post for Moving parts applications every nozzle. A are required post moves There is risk through each of damage to the nozzle, displacing nozzles dried ink. Accurate fabrication is required Ink The pressure of the May be Requires May be used pressure ink is temporarily effective where pressure pump with all IJ series pulse increased so that other methods or other pressure ink jets ink streams from cannot be used actuator all of the nozzles. Expensive This may be used Wasteful of in conjunction ink with actuator energizing. Print A flexible ‘blade’ Effective for Difficult to Many ink jet head is wiped across the planar print head use if print head systems wiper print head surface. surfaces surface is non- The blade is Low cost planar or very usually fabricated fragile from a flexible Requires polymer, e.g. mechanical parts rubber or synthetic Blade can elastomer. wear out in high volume print systems Separate A separate heater Can be Fabrication Can be used ink is provided at the effective where complexity with many IJ boiling nozzle although other nozzle series ink jets heater the normal drop e- clearing methods ection mechanism cannot be used does not require it. Can be The heaters do not implemented at require individual no additional drive circuits, as cost in some ink many nozzles can jet be cleared configurations simultaneously, and no imaging is required. NOZZLE PLATE CONSTRUCTION Electro- A nozzle plate is Fabrication High Hewlett formed separately simplicity temperatures and Packard Thermal nickel fabricated from pressures are Ink jet electroformed required to bond nickel, and bonded nozzle plate to the print head Minimum chip. thickness constraints Differential thermal expansion Laser Individual nozzle No masks Each hole Canon ablated or holes are ablated required must be Bubblejet drilled by an intense UV Can be quite individually 1988 Sercel et polymer laser in a nozzle fast formed al., SPIE, Vol. plate, which is Some control Special 998 Excimer typically a over nozzle equipment Beam polymer such as profile is required Applications, pp. polyimide or possible Slow where 76-83 polysulphone Equipment there are many 1993 required is thousands of Watanabe et al., relatively low nozzles per print U.S. Pat. No. 5,208,604 cost head May produce thin burrs at exit holes Silicon A separate nozzle High accuracy Two part K. Bean, micro- plate is is attainable construction IEEE machined micromachined High cost Transactions on from single crystal Requires Electron silicon, and precision Devices, Vol. bonded to the print alignment ED-25, No. 10, head wafer. Nozzles may 1978, pp 1185-1195 be clogged by Xerox 1990 adhesive Hawkins et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,181 Glass Fine glass No expensive Very small 1970 Zoltan capillaries capillaries are equipment nozzle sizes are U.S. Pat. No. 3,683,212 drawn from glass required difficult to form tubing. This Simple to Not suited for method has been make single mass production used for making nozzles individual nozzles, but is difficult to use for bulk manufacturing of print heads with thousands of nozzles. Monolithic, The nozzle plate is High accuracy Requires Silverbrook, surface deposited as a (<1 μm) sacrificial layer EP 0771 658 A2 micro- layer using Monolithic under the nozzle and related machined standard VLSI Low cost plate to form the patent using deposition Existing nozzle chamber applications VLSI techniques. processes can be Surface may IJ01, IJ02, litho- Nozzles are etched used be fragile to the IJ04, IJ11, IJ12, graphic in the nozzle plate touch IJ17, IJ18, IJ20, processes using VLSI IJ22, IJ24, IJ27, lithography and IJ28, IJ29, IJ30, etching. IJ31, IJ32, IJ33, IJ34, IJ36, IJ37, IJ38, IJ39, IJ40, IJ41, IJ42, IJ43, IJ44 Monolithic, The nozzle plate is High accuracy Requires long IJ03, IJ05, etched a buried etch stop (<1 μm) etch times IJ06, IJ07, IJ08, through in the wafer. Monolithic Requires a IJ09, IJ10, IJ13, substrate Nozzle chambers Low cost support wafer IJ14, IJ15, IJ16, are etched in the No differential IJ19, IJ21, IJ23, front of the wafer, expansion IJ25, IJ26 and the wafer is thinned from the back side. Nozzles are then etched in the etch stop layer. No nozzle Various methods No nozzles to Difficult to Ricoh 1995 plate have been tried to become clogged control drop Sekiya et al U.S. Pat. No. eliminate the position 5,412,413 nozzles entirely, to accurately 1993 prevent nozzle Crosstalk Hadimioglu et al clogging. These problems EUP 550,192 include thermal 1993 Elrod et bubble al EUP 572,220 mechanisms and acoustic lens mechanisms Trough Each drop ejector Reduced Drop firing IJ35 has a trough manufacturing direction is through which a complexity sensitive to paddle moves. Monolithic wicking. There is no nozzle plate. Nozzle slit The elimination of No nozzles to Difficult to 1989 Saito et instead of nozzle holes and become clogged control drop al U.S. Pat. No. individual replacement by a position 4,799,068 nozzles slit encompassing accurately many actuator Crosstalk positions reduces problems nozzle clogging, but increases crosstalk due to ink surface waves DROP EJECTION DIRECTION Edge Ink flow is along Simple Nozzles Canon (‘edge the surface of the construction limited to edge Bubblejet 1979 shooter’) chip, and ink drops No silicon High Endo et al GB are ejected from etching required resolution is patent 2,007,162 the chip edge. Good heat difficult Xerox heater- sinking via Fast color in-pit 1990 substrate printing requires Hawkins et al Mechanically one print head U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,181 strong per color Tone-jet Ease of chip handing Surface Ink flow is along No bulk Maximum ink Hewlett- (‘roof the surface of the silicon etching flow is severely Packard TIJ shooter’) chip, and ink drops required restricted 1982 Vaught et are ejected from Silicon can al U.S. Pat. No. the chip surface, make an 4,490,728 normal to the effective heat IJ02, IJ11, plane of the chip. sink IJ12, IJ20, IJ22 Mechanical strength Through Ink flow is through High ink flow Requires bulk Silverbrook, chip, the chip, and ink Suitable for silicon etching EP 0771 658 A2 forward drops are ejected pagewidth print and related (‘up from the front heads patent shooter’) surface of the chip. High nozzle applications packing density IJ04, IJ17, therefore low IJ18, IJ24, IJ27-IJ45 manufacturing cost Through Ink flow is through High ink flow Requires IJ01, IJ03, chip, the chip, and ink Suitable for wafer thinning IJ05, IJ06, IJ07, reverse drops are ejected pagewidth print Requires IJ08, IJ09, IJ10, (‘down from the rear heads special handling IJ13, IJ14, IJ15, shooter’) surface of the chip. High nozzle during IJ16, IJ19, IJ21, packing density manufacture IJ23, IJ25, IJ26 therefore low manufacturing cost Through Ink flow is through Suitable for Pagewidth Epson Stylus actuator the actuator, which piezoelectric print heads Tektronix hot is not fabricated as print heads require several melt part of the same thousand piezoelectric ink substrate as the connections to jets drive transistors. drive circuits Cannot be manufactured in standard CMOS fabs Complex assembly required INK TYPE Aqueous, Water based ink Environmentally Slow drying Most existing dye which typically friendly Corrosive ink jets contains: water, No odor Bleeds on All IJ series dye, surfactant, paper ink jets humectant, and May Silverbrook, biocide. strikethrough EP 0771 658 A2 Modern ink dyes Cockles paper and related have high water- patent fastness, light applications fastness Aqueous, Water based ink Environmentally Slow drying IJ02, IJ04, pigment which typically friendly Corrosive IJ21, IJ26, IJ27, contains: water, No odor Pigment may IJ30 pigment, Reduced bleed clog nozzles Silverbrook, surfactant, Reduced Pigment may EP 0771 658 A2 humectant, and wicking clog actuator and related biocide. Reduced mechanisms patent Pigments have an strikethrough Cockles paper applications advantage in Piezoelectric reduced bleed, ink-jets wicking and Thermal ink strikethrough. jets (with significant restrictions) Methyl MEK is a highly Very fast Odorous All IJ series Ethyl volatile solvent drying Flammable ink jets Ketone used for industrial Prints on (MEK) printing on various difficult surfaces substrates such such as aluminum as metals and cans. plastics Alcohol Alcohol based inks Fast drying Slight odor All IJ series (ethanol, can be used where Operates at Flammable ink jets 2-butanol, the printer must sub-freezing and operate at temperatures others) temperatures Reduced below the freezing paper cockle point of water. An Low cost example of this is in-camera consumer photographic printing. Phase The ink is solid at No drying High viscosity Tektronix hot change room temperature, time-ink Printed ink melt (hot melt) and is melted in instantly freezes typically has a piezoelectric ink the print head on the print ‘waxy’ feel jets before jetting. Hot medium Printed pages 1989 Nowak melt inks are Almost any may ‘block’ U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,346 usually wax based, print medium Ink All IJ series with a melting can be used temperature may ink jets point around 80° C.. No paper be above the After jetting cockle occurs curie point of the ink freezes No wicking permanent almost instantly occurs magnets upon contacting No bleed Ink heaters the print medium occurs consume power or a transfer roller. No Long warm- strikethrough up time occurs Oil Oil based inks are High High All IJ series extensively used in solubility viscosity: this is ink jets offset printing. medium for a significant They have some dyes limitation for use advantages in Does not in ink jets, which improved cockle paper usually require a characteristics on Does not wick low viscosity. paper (especially through paper Some short no wicking or chain and multi- cockle). Oil branched oils soluble dies and have a pigments are sufficiently low required. viscosity. Slow drying Micro- A microemulsion Stops ink Viscosity All IJ series emulsion is a stable, self bleed higher than ink jets forming emulsion High dye water of oil, water, and solubility Cost is surfactant. The Water, oil, slightly higher characteristic drop and amphiphilic than water based size is less than soluble dies can ink 100 nm, and is be used High determined by the Can stabilize surfactant preferred curvature pigment concentration of the surfactant. suspensions required (around 5%) 

1. A micro-electromechanical fluid ejection mechanism comprising: a substrate defining an ink passage in fluid communication with a tapered ink chamber having an ink ejection port; and a shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator arranged within the chamber, the actuator configured to straighten when heated and to return to a bent state upon subsequent cooling to facilitate ejection of ink via the ejection port.
 2. The micro-electromechanical fluid ejection mechanism of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a multilayered substrate including control and drive circuitry to facilitate actuation of the SMA actuator.
 3. The micro-electromechanical fluid ejection mechanism of claim 2, wherein the actuator includes a serpentine heating element which is electrically coupled to the control and drive circuitry.
 4. The micro-electromechanical fluid ejection mechanism of claim 3, wherein the actuator further comprises a pair of silicon-based layers with the heating element interposed between the silicon-based layers.
 5. The micro-electromechanical fluid ejection mechanism of claim 4, wherein one of the silicon-based layers comprises silicon dioxide material whereas the other silicon-based layer comprises silicon nitride.
 6. The micro-electromechanical fluid ejection mechanism of claim 5, wherein each silicon-based layer extends from a layer of corresponding material in the multi-layered substrate.
 7. The micro-electromechanical fluid ejection mechanism of claim 2, further comprising a pair of metal interconnects which each couple a respective end of the heating element to the control and drive circuitry. 